Chapter Text
Kaeya has always given you what you wanted.
From before the end of the world to now, anything you asked of him, he would provide. You could say you had him wrapped right around your little finger. It was something you found surprising, early on in the relationship, the facade he seemed to put on was one of charm and honeyed words that left you a little skeptical. But when you felt that very first spark and saw the look in his eye, all second thoughts flew right out the window. You were his just as he was yours.
Which means, you have to do this. Finding a hospital along the way to the largest camp offering protection wasn’t very surprising - finding a hospital that seemed well guarded and filled with survivors took the both of you off guard. The guards who you recognised as Millelith, had taken the two of you within the walls, intent on bringing you to whoever was in charge for questioning. It seemed as though everyone was on edge from outsiders, not something you weren’t already used to seeing, even in a dying world, there still managed to be people with some cruelty in them.
“Th-There could be a cure. Mr Albedo left behind his research, though it isn’t completely finished. Bu-But I’ve been working on it since he… left. And I think there’s something we can do to fix things!”
It’s what Sucrose told you, when you were led to the labs for testing of infection. Ningguang had given the go ahead after recognising the two of you, but said that it was courtesy to still check - you were understanding of the situation. “Interesting, I didn’t think Lady Ningguang could find a way to take charge even during an apocalypse. Her abilities really are quite impressive.”, Kaeya had murmured to you quietly, a teasing glint in his eye. You quickly nudged him to be quiet, but the light hearted tone helped to keep you relaxed.
“So, you think there’s a cure!?”, you yelped and Sucrose hushed you as she brought you further into the labs. “I do but…”, Sucrose hesitated, tired eyes looking warily to you as she wrung her hands together. You continued for her, “But…? But what?” Your friend sighs and takes the chipped glasses off her nose, “I know how to create the cure but… We first need someone immune to the virus, to, uh, I suppose provide the starting base for it? Put simply. A-And…” “And what?” Sucrose’s eyes shot down to the ground, nervous and… sad? “Sucrose, if you know how to make a cure, isn’t that supposed to be great? We can fix things, right? Why do you… Why do you look so upset?”, you thought for a moment and cocked your head to the side, “I guess we do need to find someone immune first but… Well, it might be difficult but not impossible so- Sucrose? Sucrose, what’s wrong?”
And so this is the part where you find out that they had already found someone with immunity. Fortunately it happened to be you, unfortunately the cure meant giving your life away, as Sucrose had tearfully explained to you. Funnily enough, you had been the one to comfort her, squeezing her shoulders, you told her everything would be okay, you promised. You couldn't even bring yourself to cry, not yet. If this was how you could put an end to this nightmare, then you would do it. But, one more thing bothered you in the back of your mind.
Kaeya.
Excusing yourself from the labs, you had asked Sucrose to take some rest if she could. When you closed the doors to the lab, breathing out, and just as quickly as the door had closed, so did your feelings change. The ground beneath you felt unsteady, a cold sweat creeping up your back. Your body seemed to move on its own as you nearly stumbled your way through the dim hallway, mind racing. How would you tell Kaeya? What would you even say to him? 'Hey, you've given me all the love I could ever imagine but now I'm going to sacrifice my life so that the rest of the world can live, thanks!'...?
The mere sight of Kaeya was almost enough to calm your anxious heart. Almost. It also reminded you of what you had to lose and who you would be leaving behind. You find him walking towards you, fixing the eyepatch on his head -(you wince at the memory of how he lost that eye… in the end you tried making jokes about how he finally had a reason to wear the eyepatch, kissing the sweat from his brow while you tended to the wound. He rolled his one remaining eye at that but the way his shaking hand had steadied in your own afterwards helped to calm your nerves too) “Ah, my love, I’ve been looking for you. Won’t you comfort your sweet knight? The doctors on my side were far too rough for my liking.” You chuckle at that, linking your arm with his as you two strolled through the halls, “Aw, my poor baby. Though I seem to recall you not minding it rough?” - a false sense of normalcy, you two giggled and chatted like a highschool couple on their first date.
Maybe you could hold off on telling him… Just for a little while?